The typical truck assembly which has been used for roller skates and skateboards relies on a user changing their centre of mass from one side of the platform (skateboard/roller skate) to the other. This causes the truck to pivot thus changing the direction in which the corresponding wheels attached thereto are pointing. The rider on the skateboard or roller skates thus shifts their weight to one side or another in order to effect a change in the desired direction.
A typical truck for a skateboard or roller skate is shown in FIG. 1 (prior art) in which there is a base plate (10) attached to the underside of a skateboard or roller skate, a hangar (12) having an axle (14) running through it. Located between the base plate (10) and the hangar (12) are bushings (16) and (17) that provide a cushioning mechanism during the turning of the truck. A bolt (20) commonly referred to as a king pin holds the hangar (12) to the base plate (10). By tightening or loosening the king pin nut (22), as well as by adjusting the hardness of the bushings, the trucks may be tuned by the operator to provide the appropriate turning characteristics.
In addition, typical truck assemblies commonly used for roller skates or skateboards do not provide sufficient stability and control in high speed situations, such as those typically encountered in the sport of speed skating as the main control of the trucks is largely dominated by controlling tension of the king pin and/or variation in the elastomer material used in the bushings. The forces exerted by the user in a tight turn, using standard truck assemblies are sufficient at times to overcome the resistance of firmer bushings. Moreover, the standard truck assembly is relatively heavy and whilst this is generally not a problem for the recreational skater, the advanced skaters are interested in pursuing lighter weight truck assemblies so as to lower the overall weight of their skate, as well as assemblies that provide accurate and effective turning properties suitable in high speed applications.
The heavy weight and undesirable turning characteristics of the truck assemblies of present devices is a serious shortcoming and further improvements are seen as being desirable in this area.